'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMska//EAB4QAAICAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAEgUhERVh/9oACAEBAAE/AOIu0PXWo7MDNZcgQMOgArd7Y0dUsTsw8/M//8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAR/9oACAECAQE/AAy//8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAR/9oACAEDAQE/AF0L/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will clash against number one contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8. Pereira has been flawless since making the move to 205 pounds, winning all of his five fights at light heavyweight.
In his last outing, Pereira took apart Khalil Rountree Jr. and knocked him out in the fourth round. With the win, he notched his third successful title defense of the 205-pound strap.
Ankalaev, for his part, beat Aleksandr Rakic at UFC 308 to cement his spot as the number one contender. Ankalaev's all-round skill set provides the toughest challenge to Pereira who hasn't faced a grappler of the Russian's quality so far. The fight against Ankalaev is touted by many as Pereira's toughest challenge so far.
Trending
In a post on X by Poatan, he challenged Ankalaev to bet $200,000 which will be paid by the loser to the winner's choice of charity. He wrote:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
"Since you are so confident you will win, $200,000 to the winners charity of choice. Win or lose this will help those in need. It’s in your hands @AliAbdelaziz00 @AnkalaevM"
Reacting to the post, Ankalaev's manager Ali Abdelaziz wrote:
"This is very notable of you champ to try and help the people in need, but we can do this the proper way with your team"
Check out Ali Abdelaziz's comment below:
Alex Pereira speaks about showcasing the improvements he has made to his ground game
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is known for his striking. The Brazilian was a two division Glory Kickboxing champion before stepping inside the UFC octagon.
In a recent interview with The New York Post, however, 'Poatan' expressed his desire to show the world that his grappling has come a long way and he can do more than just stopping takedowns. Pereira said:
"Obviously I didn't focus a lot on grappling before I moved to the U.S but now I've been in the UFC now for about four years training with Glover [Teixeira] and really focused on that and really dedicated on that. So I think this is a fight that's going to bring that out of me and make me show everyone what I've been doing with my grappling."
Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (01:48):
